We are thrilled to announce the Schubot members who have received awards this current Spring semester of 2024.

Meredith Anderson, DVM (PhD graduate student), and Cora Garcia (4th-year veterinary student) were honored with the Schubot Avian Health Director’s Award for 2024. This prestigious award acknowledges undergraduate, graduate, or veterinary students dedicated to avian health research or contributing significantly to the Schubot Center’s mission. Dr. Meredith and Cora have actively participated in youth outreach initiatives and have contributed their expertise to various avian health issues. Additionally, Dr. Meredith has played a pivotal role in community education efforts.

Dani Burleson was awarded the Kaytee Avian & Special Species Excellence Award. This accolade is presented to a 4th-year veterinary student demonstrating exceptional proficiency in companion bird and non-domestic avian medicine, surgery, and management. Dani has been an integral part of the Schubot community throughout her four years in the veterinary program. She is set to graduate in a few weeks and will embark on an assistantship, working with wild parrots and macaws in Costa Rica as part of Dr. Brightsmith’s field research with The Macaw Society. Upon her return, Dani plans to pursue graduate studies focusing on One Health in the public health arena.

Our Sarah Hamer, Director of the Schubot Center, was honored with the Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award, alongside two other distinguished faculty members from our institution. This award recognizes individuals for their outstanding scientific contributions, notable publications, or successful acquisition of extramural grants or patents in the past year.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to these four remarkable women for their outstanding achievements in their respective careers. We express our gratitude to them for exemplifying the values of the Schubot Center with such distinction.

The Schubot Center was honored to host Dr. Greg Harrison, the founder of HBD International, Inc., and developer of Harrison’s Bird Foods.

His extraordinary career includes serving as the first president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV). He co-edited, with Linda Harrison, the “Clinical Avian Medicine and Surgery,” the first avian veterinary textbook, and “Avian Medicine: Principles and Application.” Later, he co-edited an additional textbook: “Clinical Avian Medicine Volumes I and II.”

During his seminar, “A Conversation with Dr. Greg J. Harrison: My Avian Nutrition Experiences,” Dr. Harrison shared insights into feeding captive parrots and the challenges of meeting the specific nutrient requirements of bird species with diverse diets in the wild. He emphasized providing the right nutrition without causing health issues such as obesity or nutrient deficiency.

Following the seminar, Dr. Harrison conducted a demonstration on avian wellness checks for vet students at the Schubot Aviary, sharing his extensive experiences as an avian vet. It was an invaluable and enriching experience for all participants.

We extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Greg for their visit.

The Schubot director, Dr. Sarah Hamer is pleased to announce the awards for the 2024 Schubot Research Mini Grant and the Schubot travel recipients.

Schubot Research Mini-Grant

The recipients represent a diverse array of research topics within the fields of ecology, biology, and veterinary science. These grants aim to support research initiatives and provide valuable opportunities for career advancement. They also provide invaluable mentorship opportunities for the recipients across multiple departments. All research grants were funded at $2500.

Research projects funded by the 2024 Schubot Research Mini-Grant

Schubot Travel Grant

This award provides exciting opportunities for scholars to attend conferences, workshops, and fieldwork experiences, enriching their academic and professional growth. It not only supports the recipients’ academic pursuits but also facilitate networking, collaboration, and skill development. By participating in these events and experiences, these scholars are better equipped to contribute meaningfully to their respective fields and advance their careers in academia and conservation. All travel grants were funded at $1000.

Schubot member awarded with the Schubot Travel Grant

We express our sincere appreciation to the Schubot Review Panel, comprising Dr. Caitlin Mencio, Dr. Amanda Beckman, and Dr. Francisco Ferreira, for their diligent efforts in selecting the recipients.

Congratulations to the eleven awardees!

The Schubot Center was a financial sponsor of the 10^th Annual Zoo, Exotics, and Wildlife Wet Lab at Texas A&M that took place on February 17^th and 18^th, 2024.

This event provides a valuable opportunity for vet students interested in zoological, exotic and wildlife veterinary medicine to have some hands-on experience learning essential skills and practice techniques necessary for exotic animal practices.  

As in previous years, the Avian Handling and Sampling section of the event was held in the Schubot Aviary. Dr. Sharman Hoppes described and demonstrated how to perform a physical examination and some common sampling methods for avian species. With the assistance of Dr. Nin Yeh and Dr. Sydney Jones from the Texas Avian and Exotic Hospital, the students practiced bird proper restraint, weighting, and venipuncture on the Schubot cockatiels collection. Schubot Director Sarah Hamer and member Meredith Anderson also led a field lab to capture and sample wild mammals and birds. The mist netting was productive with 8 wild birds safely sampled, banded, and released during the 2 hour field lab.

The Schubot Center is proud to participate in the ZEW labs and to make its collections of aviary birds and expertise in wild bird sampling available to students for the benefit of education.

The deadline for submitting proposals for the Schubot Annual Research Mini-Grants and Travel Grants is swiftly approaching on January 31st, 2024.

The Avian Research Mini Grant (up to $2,500 each) is intended to facilitate data collection by members of the Schubot Center to advance avian research, with an emphasis on avian health, conservation, genetics, behavior, or related fields. Application available HERE

The Avian Research Travel Grants (up to $1000 each) is to support travel for Schubot Center members to engage in activities to learn new techniques at workshops or specialized laboratories or field stations, expand collaborative networks, and/or disseminate Texas A&M avian research findings at conferences, with an emphasis on avian health, conservation, genetics, behavior, or related fields. Application available HERE

The committee looks forward to reading about your research ideas and travel destinations. Don’t miss the opportunity to apply and secure funding for your research endeavors.

Schubot Center director, Dr. Sarah Hamer is pleased to host our 3^rd annual Wassail and Cookies next week, Wednesday, December 13th at the Schubot Aviary from 4:00-5:00PM

Come join us for a laid-back get-together, spreading the Holidays cheer and enjoying some festive treats.

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Don Brightsmith’s lab, in collaboration with the Mesoaerican Parrot Network and The Macaw Society, is proud to announce the first Parrot Release in the Americas Virtual Symposium and Workshop.

This innovative event, sponsored in part by the Schubot Center for Avian Health, aims to unite experts in parrot release from across the Americas, fostering discussions on the latest advancements and challenges in parrot release and conservation. The program is thoughtfully crafted to facilitate information exchange and networking opportunities for individuals with diverse backgrounds, including scientists, rescue and release centers, conservation NGOs, and government regulators.

Scheduled for November 29th, from 8 am to 6 pm Central American Time, this event will provide a comprehensive exploration of the field. Participation is free of charge, but registration is mandatory.

This international and bilingual event is sponsored in part by the Schubot Avian Health Center and will feature speakers from across the US and Latin America.

The event organizers, Dr. Don Brightsmith and Dr. Gabriela Vigo-Trauco, members of the Schubot Center and co-directors of The Macaw Society, along with Dr. Thom White from the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Network and Martin Lezama MS from the Parrot Thematic Group, cordially invite you to join this symposium and contribute to the collective knowledge and efforts in parrot reintroduction.

Register now to secure your spot. We look forward to your participation!

Over the past few months one of our Schubot members, Dr. Simon Kiascz, successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, while another member, Dr. Meredith Anderson, successfully defended her research proposal.

On September 5th, Meredith Anderson DVM, Dr. Sarah Hamer’s student, defended her research proposal titled “Neonicotinoids in Wild Bird Communities: Seasonality, Migratory Strategy and Implications for Zoonotic Pathogens Spread.” The proposal defense is an important milestone within the doctoral degree programs like Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and we congratulate Dr. Anderson on this achievement as she continues on in her research and degree program. Dr. Anderson’s research has been featured in the “Texas A&M Today Series.”

On October 12th, Simon Kiacz, Dr. Don Brightsmith, defended his research titled “Status, Distribution, and Population Modeling of Red-crowned Parrots and Conservation Opportunities of Naturalized Parrots.” Dr. Kiacz’s research has contributed greatly to our understanding of the growing population of wild parrots in Texas. His research was recently featured on the Research @ Texas A&M website, in the Texas A&M TODAY Newsletter, and in prominent magazines like Phys.org and Forbes.com.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Anderson and Dr. Kiacz on this significant milestone and wishing them the best for their future projects.

---

---

In late September, our Schubot members were out on an exciting field mission.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) graduate student Keith Andringa is investigating microplastic and contaminant burdens in Clapper Rails (Rallus crepitans) along the Texas coast as part of his PhD research. These secretive marsh birds are notoriously hard to catch, but with the help and expertise of fellow Schubot members Mycha Van Allen (VIBS PhD student) and Tabitha Olsen (EEB PhD student), they were able to capture, band, and take physiological samples from three Clapper Rails during this trip!

Disclaimer: all birds were captured, sampled, and released under the proper state, federal, and university permits and approvals. Do not handle birds without proper permitting.

We are thrilled to extend a warm invitation to you for a special reception at the James R. Reynolds Student Art Gallery. The event will spotlight the “LightsOut Texas bird exhibit,” featuring artwork by the talented Schubot member Keith Andringa, among other renowned artists.

The Lights Out Texas bird exhibit showcases the intersection of art and science, shedding light on the importance of avian conservation. The exhibit features a diverse array of artwork that captures the beauty and vulnerability of birds, making it a must-see for art enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.

Heather Prestridge, Curator of the Biodiversity Research & Teaching Collections from the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology will be joining us to informally lead our event, providing valuable insights into the avian research efforts at TAMU and the significance of the Lights Out initiative.

Snacks and refreshments will be served, adding to the convivial atmosphere of the gathering.

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to engage with the vibrant community at Texas A&M University, celebrate the Lights Out Texas bird exhibit, and forge new connections with fellow attendees. We look forward to seeing you there!

---

Event Details

Who: Open to general public.

What: A social gathering and reception to discuss the LightsOut initiative and appreciate the remarkable bird-themed art on display.

When: Wednesday, September 6th, from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM.

Where: James R. Reynolds Student Art Gallery, Memorial Student Center, 2nd floor, across from the Student Programs Office.

Why: This event offers a unique opportunity for networking, gaining insights into avian research at Texas A&M University, exploring collaboration possibilities, and indulging in the world of fine art!

---

---

---